Postponed

So we'll have to wait another week, no biggie. In porto the local team celebrated their win over Benfica as their 09/10 championship, too bad the realization of not being in the Champions League next year as yet to set it.
For a team of porto's "caliber", who is part of UEFA's elite, to be celebrating their third place in such manner really shows how little this club is.

Not too far away in Braga, someone came back to the visitors locker room after the game to find one of them cases from "let's make a deal", complete with big breasted model attached.
I mean, what keeper let's go of a floating cross and falls back?

In Lisbon, the 16 thousand and change that had the need to go to find a bathroom with a view at the same time, applauded porto's goals, yet their team closed out their home season with yet another loss. Perhaps the applauses were for the fact that porto prevented Benfica from adding a few more points to the already massive 28 point gap, between them and Benfica. Cheers to the less important team from Lisbon, they have plenty to be proud of this year.




The world seems upside down, porto celebrating the clinching of 3rd place, Braga receiving favors, and Sporting fans applauding in their stadium this season.

I can't help but to mention the acts of savagery that took place the whole week and culminated with the final whistle from tonight's game.
From Benfica houses being vandalized in northern Portugal, to Benfica's team bus being hit on two separate occasions, once at the entry of the city of Porto on Saturday, and then again before entering the garage of the stadium this afternoon.
Add that to the many golf balls, lighters and several other objects hurled at our team during the game, and it's easy to see how Benfica bothers as many people as it moves.
"Jealousy will get you nowhere" is a phrase me and a couple buddies often use as a joke, but it couldn't be truer here.

I just hope that porto hasn't forgotten that they will need to come to Lisbon to play the Portuguese Cup, and although i think violence has no place in sport, i will not be surprised by a similar retaliation.

The funny thing is that no official from porto came forward this past week to calm their fan base, instead it was the leader of the super dragays who came out and pretty much washed his hands of any acts of violence that might happen.

As for the game itself, I have to wonder how in the world is Olegario Benquerenca going to the World Cup, did FIFA run out of referees to call? Was there no one available from Burkina Faso? Oh wait, i got it, if your National team is ranked in FIFA's top 3, you automatically have a referee in the competition.

I understand him wanting to want to take control of the game, but the double yellow to DiMaria and fucile borders on the ridiculous. By the same criteria, fucile should have seen his second on a much more serious foul on DiMaria, just a few minutes later. Olegario would later make up for the mistake and give fucile his dues.
How do you not call that penalty on Maxi? Not to mention fulfilling his pre-ordered quota on getting 3 of the six Benfica players (that were in risk for next week) yellow cards. DiMaria(5') is laughable, Coentrao(12') is equally laughable, and Javi Garcia(41') is ridiculous.

I'm not one to excuse defeats with refereeing, but this referee is nowhere near the level needed to officiate a game of this importance, mind you he is the best we got, which says a lot about our Sunday league.

As for the game itself, and putting aside all of the referee's influence, i think porto was a just winner. Benfica lacked a little bit more of poised following their tying goal. The first 15 minutes of the second half, especially after tying the game, is perhaps the most important period of the game, and in that aspect Benfica came up short.

In our stadium, in front of our fans, is where we will celebrate, but until then we will have to remain vigilant, as there are many at work to prevent Benfica from hoisting their 32nd.